Firestone’s objective is to have all Agri Point dealers running similar programmes shortly, Firestone agricultural marketing manager Barry Coleman said.

The new service will see farmers benefit from a half-yearly ‘tyre check’ for their agricultural vehicles without cost or obligation.

Vic Thompson, managing director of Tanvic Tyres, explains: “We have adopted a similar approach for commercial vehicle customers through the Truck Point network and it has been extremely successful. The emphasis is on prevention and maintenance. An on-farm inspection is a win-win arrangement for both parties. If an engineer can call while he is out on the road, at a mutually convenient time, the farmer can avoid a call out charge if work is needed.

“The long-term goal is that our engineers can give advice on good tyre management, to improve performance and bring down running costs. For example, if our engineer detects irregular shoulder wear and recommends swapping wheels, the farmer will get longer life from both tyres on the axle,” he said.

Coleman commented: “We are watching the Tanvic trial with interest. At Firestone, we have been focussing our efforts on getting close to farmers and contractors and listening to their opinions. Tyres are far more complicated these days and account for a larger percentage of a tractor’s running costs, but equally, they can deliver improvements in performance that have a real impact on the bottom line. Good tyre management is in everybody’s best interest – including the environment! It is my objective is to have all Agri Point dealers running similar programmes shortly.”